lot of attention is president obama's open mike comment to the israeli prime minister, just moments after arriving in israel earlier today. listen to this. >> good to get away from congress, the president is overheard saying. a cnn exclusive. jake tapper sat down with the house speaker john boehner and specifically asked the speaker about what the president was overheard saying. >> president obama arrived in israel today, he had some interesting comments for prime minister netanyahu on the tarmac. he said it is good to get away from congress. netanyahu laughed and said, believe me, i know. any reaction? >> so much for the charm offensive. >> but does a comment like that have any impact, you think? >> no, not really.

president is meeting with the president of israel, he's got his legislative issues, the president has got his. comes with the territory. >> comes with the territory. >> i would rather be heckled than ignored or as i like to say, you only tease the ones you love. >> takes the full interview with the speaker, coming up for our north american viewers with "the lead" at 4:00 p.m. eastern. a lot of us remember some of the tense moments during the first four years, especially that meeting they had in the oval office when the prime minister seemed to be lecturing the president. there was an irritation over what the president said about israel's need to go back to the pre1967 line with mutually agreed adjustments. that was not well received by the prime minister. i take it they repaired their relationship since then. >> they're in the process of repairing the relationship. i talked to a top u.s. official

who said this is a frosty relationship, reminded me, president obama is left of center. president netanyahu is right of center. they have disagreements over policy and different political philosophies. the official said they're stuck with each other. they're both beginning new terms in office. they both have a huge focus on iran. they both have to worry about syria. they're both wondering as the world is about what happens with this air spring. this president would like to have the peace process resume. we talk about reviving the peace process. there is no process right now. it has collapsed. in any relationship, both sides insist in those four years despite all the disagreements and many more than you mention that the working relationship is always pretty good. when they have to do business, they put the personal stuff aside and they do business. but as you well know, wolf, you know this region as well as anyone, if you know each other and trust each other and have a personal bond, it is easier, when you get to the hard stuff.

israelis talk about where is bill clinton? he came here four times as president. he was so deeply involved, we were both covering the white house in those days, in the camp david process and others, the israelis miss that, a guy who can draw the maps, president bush didn't get that involved. president obama hasn't gotten that involved. they're different people, personally and how they carry themselves politically and in their philosophies. the prime minister in cracking jokes when the president has landed is trying to say, i'm trying and now we'll see if the president is trying. >> we'll get back to jessica in a moment. tom foreman, this trip comes at a time when so many israelis feel increasingly vulnerable due in large part to the major political changes occurring in the region and their neighborhood. tom is taking a closer look at that region. what are you seeing, tom? >> john made references of being able to draw the map there. it is important to bear in mind the map here. look at where the president is

visiting here, he's going to really a small part of a small area, but a very important part as you know, with stops in jordan, here in israel, the yellow part in here, and in the west bank here. in this time, he's going to be grappling with many of the issues he's been talking about between the palestinians and israelis, showing where our support is behind the israelis and to the degree he wants to show the palestinians he understands their circumstance. that's what he has to grapple with in this period of time while being sensitive to issues about things that have happened in he, like the possibility of missile strikes and they go back and forth between the two sides. that's just issue number one, though, wolf, because this whole region is full of issues. >> and it is a very, very small neighborhood when you think about what is going on in that area, tom, when you think about what is happening in gaza and in egypt, lebanon, and certainly in syria, jordan, but not too far away as iraq and iran. the whole north africa middle east region seems to be pretty much in political turmoil right

now. >> absolutely. look at this. this is where the president is visiting down here. this is a very short distance away, by car or by plane, to get up into syria, where we had this whole struggle going on between the assad regime and rebels, all this talk in the past 48 hours about possible chemical weapons being used. this is very close to where the president is going to be. and then if you go beyond this, and you move over here to iran, look, here is israel over here, here is syria, here is iraq. here is iran over here. iran is about the size of alaska. you may notice at this point, it is all out here, sort of receiptireceipt i reddish looking. they may be a year away from having a nuclear weapon. the reason this is red is this is the range of the shehadeh 3 missile from iran. it easily reaches over here to israel and that's important to bear in mind, because all this is happening in the small place. here is a simple way to describe it. if you went from tehran directly

over to tel aviv, this is the distance from boston to chicago. you cross only four or five states in the united states to cover all that ground and all of these issues, wolf, are happening in this really relatively small area and as we pointed out, right in the middle, here is iraq, some of the turmoil that happened that involved turkey and the issues up there. this is a tremendous amount of stuff happening on a very small space and it is -- you have to appreciate it in terms of the geography and the map to understand all the competing forces that the president is facing when he visits this area right down here. >> got to remember a time when there had been so much political uncertainty in the middle east, north africa, south asia, to pakistan and afghanistan as well. tom, stand by, we're getting some breaking news as we await the president and the prime minister. want to go to cnn's ali velshi, news from the federal reserve. update our viewers, lots at stake on this front as well. >> interest rates are staying the same right now. fed interest rates have not

moved. they will be zero to a quarter of a percent, add 3% to that and you have the prime rate. all the interest rates that move along with fed rates are staying the same. that's not the same as your mortgage rates, though. we have seen mortgage rates start to tick up. the federal reserve has said that economic activity is now picking up moderately, but they are going to continue, wolf, to inject $85 billion a month into the economy, until they see things change substantially. and what they're talking about in terms of substantial change is the unemployment rate going down to 6.5%. the federal reserve, they have regular meetings, they give regular statements on what they're going to do. today was one of those regular meetings that was scheduled. we were not expecting a change in rates. obviously with rates as low as they are, the only option will to be raise rates and you don't typically raise rates, wolf, unless you're trying to slow an economy down. if you raise rates, it makes it harder, more expensive for people to borrow money. they spend less. they borrow less. we're not at that point right now. so rates are staying exactly

where they were, the federal reserve will continue to print and pump $85 billion into the economy. the way they do that, wolf, is they buy bonds back from banks, treasuries and mortgage-backed securities that gives banks more money to lend to businesses, and individuals for their mortgages or for their business expansion, and that puts more money into the economy. they're going to stay on that track, so as of now, if you look at the dow behind me, it is up a little bit on the news, not a record. we did set another high earlier today. but the dow and markets do seem to like that news. it is, by the way, the low interest rate policy that is helping that market out because it makes it the only way in town you can actually make money since you can't get interest in your bank account anymore. >> the markets are doing great. wall street is doing great. the dow jones industrials doing record highs as you point out. but economic growth in the country is still modest to put it mildly and unemployment is still too high. >> right. so they're saying that they're

seeing improvement. they foresee improvement in unemployment. they see that rate coming down a little faster, but when you talk about economic growth, we measure that by gdp. their forecast is still for 2013 a little weaker than we expected. and still relatively modest for 2014 and 2015. so they're sticking to their guns that sometime in 2015 and 2016 we're going to start to see this economy walk on its own, without that life support that it is getting to the tune of $85 billion a month from the federal reserve. we spent a lot of time talking about the european bailouts in cyprus. we have a bailout of our own going on every month when the fed puts that money into the economy. that's why we have got the low interest rates, that's why we're seeing a bit of a housing boom right now because money is cheaper than it has been in years. >> it is a huge economic stimulus package from the federal reserve and the chairman, ben bernanke. ali, thank you very much for that report. we're going go back to jerusalem. we're awaiting the president of the united states, the prime minister of israel, they're

getting ready for a news conference, to talk about their meeting, talking about iran, its nuclear program, syria, what is going on there. will the u.s. intervene? has a red line been crossed in syria as a result of reports that perhaps chemical weapons have been used? our coverage continues right after this. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. humans. we are beautifully imperfect creatures living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back,

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back to that press conference happening in israel in a moment. first, we need to get you caught up on news-making headlines now. your right to chug big sugary drinks and eat gigantic portions of food protected in mississippi. the anti-bloomberg law was signed on monday. it forbids counties and towns from passing restrictions on food and drink. only mississippi's state the law stems from outrage over new york city mayor michael bloomberg's attempt to ban big sugary drinks. a secret document from osama bin laden's compound reveals a strategy to hit targets in europe and the u.s. al qaeda considered attacking

underwater pipelines, bridges and dams along with love parades. a senior al qaeda planner wrote the letter to bin laden in 2010. he suggested recruits get jobs with companies transporting gasoline and wait to strike. a camera set up to watch over a seal colony on the san diego beach has captured something unthinkable. two young women seen here kicking, punching and even sitting on top of mother seals and their pups. san diego's mayor says he's appalled. >> the people just seem to get a joy out of abusing animals. they're being hit, they're being sat upon, they're being slapped. this is unacceptable. >> he's ordered a two-month nighttime shutdown to last the rest of the pupping season. even cops can freak out when a dead body springs back to life. a cop thought he was investigating a dead deer. surprise, the deer was very much alive. earlier a man told police he had

hit and killed a deer and wanted to take the roadkill home to feed the family. there it is, jumping out. police checked to see if the deer was properly tagged. >> the officer was certainly surprised. one held his ground a little better than the other as the video indicated. >> happy ending, the deer escaped into the woods where it belongs. twinkle twinkle. >> the man accused of slapping that toddler and calling him the n word when he was crying on a plane expected in federal court next hour. joe hunley faces assault charges over the incident that happened last month on a dealt why flight. he says he never struck the boy, never yelled a racial slur, but the child's mother and other witnesses say otherwise. we'll have more from the court next hour right here on cnn. a huge asteroid heads for new york city, here's nasa's advice. pray. congress is taking asteroid threats seriously. >> there is a 30% chance there

is a five megaton or so impact that will happen on a random location on this planet this century. this is not hypothetical. >> former astronaut ed lu testified today. he and other experts are pushing congress for new government spending to help stop asteroids. their request may hit budget realities here on earth, though. president barack obama filled out his nca a brackets fr the fifth year in a row. obama picked the hoosiers over the cardinals to win the championship held in atlanta. now he's in israel, jerusalem to be specific. we're awaiting a press conference with israeli president benjamin netanyahu and the president of the united states, barack obama. this is kevin.male an] to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol.

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this is really something. you've got to see this. remember michele bachmann. that's her in green right there. doesn't look happy, does she? she once led the republican field in the 2012 race for president for a short time. but she's back to being a member of congress. her area of expertise now, making accusations and making headlines. case in point, her speech at the cpac conference. >> now we find out there are five chefs an air force one.

there are two projectionists who operate the white house movie theater. they regularly sleep at the white house in order to be readily available in case the first family wants a really, really late show. we are also the ones who are paying for someone to walk the president's dog. >> well, a lot of that just didn't sound right. so, cnn's dana bash sought out bachmann yesterday. >> questionable or untrue. can you talk to me about that? >> the comments i made, during the benghazi debacle, the president went missing. >> i want to talk about the fact you said, you said, the excesses he engaged in, the fact he has a dog walker, which is not true. >> the big point in my speech was about benghazi.

this is an absolute disaster. >> you also made spoeecific accusations about the president spending money that other presidents have also -- >> there are four americans that are dead, the secretary of state was not in conversation with the secretary of defense or with the chair of joint chiefs of staff. >> i think that's an important point. i think that's an important point, but this is another -- >> the president of the united states didn't care about those four americans when they were killed. that's the point. you got to focus -- >> if you want to focus on that, if you want to focus, why did you bring up the other -- >> dog handlers, and four americans killed. >> but congresswoman, you're the one who brought it up. you're the one who brought it up. >> you can see things didn't go so well. so asked about her statements concerning the president's alleged extravagance, congresswoman bachmann changed the subject over and over. and, by the way, other fact checkers have found bachmann's statements misleading or fully

unsubstantiated. but, hey, a gold star to dana bash. she didn't let up. that news conference with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and president of the united states barack obama, about to happen at any moment. our live coverage will continue after this. 14 clubs. that's what they tell us a legal golf bag can hold. and while that leaves a little room for balls and tees, it doesn't leave room for much else. there's no room left for deadlines or conference calls. not a single pocket to hold the stress of the day,

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ends sunday. superior service, best selection, lowest price, guaranteed. ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ jerusalem now, the president of the united states has just wrapped up his first round of talks with the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. they're about to walk out.

have a joint news conference. we're told they will each make an opening statement. the prime minister first, followed by the president. and then they will answer reporters' questions, four questions, two from israeli journali journalists, two from american journalists. as we know from the american journalists and the israeli journalists as well, they'll try to do multiple questions in each of their questions. so this could go on for a while. on the agenda, not only the peace process, but if that can get restart and also what is going on in syria. there is great concern right now about iran's nuclear program. the entire region, in fact, seems to be in turmoil throughout north africa, and the middle east. so there is lots going on. this is president obama's first trip to israel as president of the united states, though he did visit as a candidate and earlier as a united states senator. here they come right now. we'll hear from the prime minister first, followed by the president.

>> mr. president, barack, it is a great pleasure for me to host you here in jerusalem. you've graciously hosted me many times in washington. so i'm very pleased to have this opportunity to reciprocate. i hope that the goodwill and warmth of the people of israel has already made you feel at home. >> very much so. >> we had an opportunity today to begin discussing the wide range of issues that are critical to both our countries. and foremost among these is iran's relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons. mr. president, you have made it clear that you're determined to prevent iran from developing nuclear weapons. i appreciate your forth right position on this point. i also appreciate that you have noted that you have acted to

thwart this threat, both through determined diplomacy, and strong sanctions that are getting stronger yet. notwithstanding our joint efforts and your great success, in mobilizing the international community, diplomacy and sanctions so far have not stopped iran's nuclear program. and as you know, my view is that in order to stop iran's nuclear programs peacefully, diplomacy and sanctions must be augmented by clear and credible threat of military action. in this regard, mr. president, i want to thank you once again for always making clear that israel must be able to defend itself, by itself, against any threat. i deeply appreciate those words, because they speak to the great transformation that occurred in the life of the jewish people with a rebirth of the jewish state. the jewish people only two

generations ago were once a powerless people, defenseless against those who sought our destruction. today, we have both the right and the capability to defend ourselves. as you said earlier today, the essence of the state of israel, the essence of the rebirth of the jewish state, is the fulfillment of the age old dream of the jewish people, to be masters of our fate, in our own state. i think that was a wonderful line that i will cherish because it really gets down to the essence of what this state is about. that is why i know that you appreciate that israel can never cede the right to defend ourselves to others, even to the greatest of our friends, and israel has no better friend than the united states of america. so i look forward to continuing to work with you to address what is an existential threat to

israel, and a great threat to the peace and security of the world. mr. president, we discussed today the situation in syria, we share the goal of seeing a stable and peaceful syria emerge from the carnage that we have witnessed over the last two years. that carnage has already resulted in the deaths of over 70,000 people and the suffering of millions. we also share a determination to prevent the deadly arsenal of weapons within syria from falling into the hands of terrorist hands. and i have no doubt that the best way to do that is to work closely with the united states and other countries in the region to address this challenge and that is what we intend to do. finally, mr. president, your visit gave us an opportunity to try to find a way to advance peace between israelis and palestinians. my new government was sworn in two days ago.

i know there have been questions regarding what the policy of the new government will be towards peace with the palestinians. so let me be clear. israel remains fully committed to peace and to the solution of two states for two peoples. we extend our hands in peace and in friendship to the palestinian people. i hope that your visit along with the visit of secretary of state kerry will help us turn a page in our relations with the palestinians. let us sit down at the negotiating table, let us put aside all preconditions. let us work together to achieve the historic compromise that will end our conflict once and for all. let me conclude, mr. president, on a personal note, i know how valuable the time raine the energies of the american president, of yourself.

this is the tenth time that we have met since you became president and since i became prime minister. you've chosen israel as your first venue in your visit, your foreign visit, in your second term. i want to thank you for the investment you have made in our relationship, and in strengthening the friendship and alliance between our two countries. it is deeply, deeply appreciated. you have come here on the eve of passover. i have always considered it as our most cherished holiday. it celebrates the jewish people's passage from slavery to freedom. through the ages, it is also inspired people, struggling for freedom, including the foundings, the founding fathers of the united states, so it is a profound honor to host you, the leader of the free world, at this historic time in our ancient capital. mr. president, welcome to israel. welcome to jerusalem. >> thank you.

thank you. well, thank you, prime minister netanyahu, for your kind words and for your wonderful welcome here today. and i want to express a special thanks to sarah and your two sons for their warmth and hospitality. it was wonderful to see them. they are -- i did inform the prime minister that they are very good looking young men who clearly got their looks from their mother. >> well, i can say the same of your daughters. >> this is true. our goal is to improve our gene pool by marrying women who are better than we are. mr. prime minister, i want to begin by congratulating you on the formation of your new government, and the united states we work hard to find agreement between our two major parties, here in israel you have to find consensus among many

more. and few legislatures can compete with the intensity of the knesset, but all of this reflects the thriving nature of israel's democracy. as bebe mentioned, this is our tenth meeting. we spent more time together working together than i have with any leader. this speaks to the closeness of our two nations. the interest and the values that we share and the depth and brebrea breadth and the ties between our two peoples. as leader, our most solemn responsibility is the security of our people. that's job number one. my job as president of the united states, first and foremost, is to keep the american people safe. bebe, as prime minister, your first task is to keep the people of israel safe. and israel's security needs are truly unique as i've seen myself. in past trips i visited, villages near the blue line, i've walked through israeli homes devastated by hezbollah

rockets. i've stood and met with children who simply want to grow up free from fear and flying in today i saw again how israel's security can be measured in mere miles and minutes. as president, i therefore made it clear america's commitment to the security of the state of israel is a solemn obligation. and the security of israel is nonnegotiable. today our military and intelligence personnel cooperate more closely than ever before. we conduct more joint exercises and training than ever before. we're providing more security assistance and advanced technology to israel than ever before. that includes more support for the missile defenses, like iron dome, which i saw today and which saves so many israeli lives. in short, and i don't think this is just my opinion, i think bebe, you share this, america's support for israel's security is

unprecedented, and the alliance between our nations has never been stronger. that's the sturdy foundation we built on today as we addressed a range of shared challenges. as part of our long-term commitment to israel's security, the prime minister and i agreed to begin discussions about extending military assistance to israel. our current agreement lasts through 2017 and we directed our teams to start working on extending it for the years beyond. i'm also pleased to announce that we will take steps to ensure that there is no interruption of funding for iron dome. as a result of decisions that i made last year, israel will receive approximately $200 million this fiscal year and we will continue to work with congress on future funding of iron dome. these are further reminders that we will help to preserve israel's qualitative military edge so israel can defend itself, by itself, against any

threat. we also discussed the way forward to a two-state solution between israelis and palestinians. and i very much welcome ed bebe words before i spoke. i'll meet with president abbas tomorrow and i'll have more to say on this topic and the speech i deliver to the israeli people tomorrow. but for now, let me just reiterate that a central element of a lasting peace must be a strong and secure jewish state, where israel's security concerns are met, along side a sovereign and independent palestinian state. in this regard, i note that last year was a milestone. the first year in four decades when not a single israeli citizen lost their life because of terrorism emanating from the west bank. it is a reminder that israel has a profound interest in a strong and effective palestinian authority. and as the prime minister's new

government begins its work, we'll continue to look for steps that both israelis and palestinians can take to build trust and confidence upon which lasting peace will depend. we also reaffirm the importance of ensuring israel's security given the changes in uncertainty in the region. as the united states supports the egyptian people and their historic transition to democracy, we continue to underscore the necessity of egypt contributing to regional security, preventing hamas from rearming and upholding its peace treaty with israel. with respect to syria, the united states continues to work with allies and friends and the syrian opposition to hasten an end of assad's rule, to stop the violence against the syrian people, and begin a transition toward a new government that respects the rights of all its people. assad lost his legitimacy to lead by attacking the syrian

people with almost every conventional weapon in his arsenal including scud missiles and we have been clear that the use of chemical weapons against the syrian people would be a serious and tragic mistake. we also share israel's grave concern about the transfer of chemical or other weapons systems to terrorists. such as hezbollah, that might be used against israel. the assad regime must understand that they will be held accountable for the use of chemical weapons or their transfer to terrorists. and finally we continued our close consultation on iran. we agree that a nuclear armed iran would be a threat to the region, a threat to the world and potentially an existential threat to israel. and we agree on our goal. we do not have a policy of containment when it comes to a nuclear iran. our policy is to prevent iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. we prefer to resolve this

diplomatically. and there is still time to do so. iran's leaders must understand that they have to meet their international obligations, and meanwhile, the international community will continue to increase the pressure on the iranian government. the united states will continue to consult closely with israel on next steps, and i will repeat all options are on the table. we will do what is necessary to prevent iran from getting the world's worst weapons. meeting none of these challenges will be easy. it will demand the same courage and resolve of those who preceded us. on friday i'll be honored to visit mount hertel and pay tribute to the leaders and soldiers who laid down their lives for israel. one of them was yoni netanyahu. he wrote home to his family, don't forget, strength, justice, and staunch resolution are on

our side, and that is a great deal. mr. prime minister, like families across israel, you and your family has served and sacrificed to defend your country, and the passage, safe and strong to your children, just as it was passed on to you. standing here today, i can say with confidence that israel's security is guaranteed because it has a great deal on its side, including the unwaivvering suppt of the united states of america. >> first question. israel channel 2. >> mr. president, may i ask you about syria, a practical question and a moral one. for the last two years, tens of thousands of innocent civilians are being massacred. no one in the united states is doing anything to stop it

immediately. on a practical level, you have said today and also in the past that the use of chemical weapons would be a crossing of a red line. it seems like this line was crossed yesterday. what specifically do you intend to do about it? >> i'll answer the question in reverse order if you don't mind. i'll talk about the chemical weapons first and then the larger question. with respect to chemical weapons, we intend to investigate thoroughly exactly what happened. obviously in syria right now you have a war zone. you have information filtered out, but we have to make sure we know exactly what happened, what was the nature of the incident, what can we document, what can we prove? so i've instructed my teams to work closely with all of the countries in the region and international organizations and institutions to find out

precisely whether or not this red line was crossed. i will note, without at this point having all the facts before me, that we know the syrian government has the capacity to carry out chemical weapon attacks, we know that there are those in the syrian government who have expressed a willingness to use chemical weapons, if necessary, to protect themselves. i am deeply skeptical of any claim that, in fact, it was the opposition that used chemical weapons. everybody who knows the facts of the chemical weapon stockpiles inside of syria as well as the syrian government's capabilities, i think, would question those claims, but i know they're floating out there

right now. the broader point is that once we establish the facts, i have made clear that the use of chemical weapons is a game changer. and i won't make an announcement today about next steps because i think we have to gather the facts. but i do think that when you start seeing weapons that can cause potential devastation, and mass casualties, and you let that genie out of the bottle, then you're looking potentially at even more horrific scene than we have already seen in syria and the international community has to act on that additional information. but as is always the case, when it comes to issues of war and peace, i think having the facts before you act as very important. more broadly, as i said in my

opening statement, i believe that the assad regime lost all credibility and legitimacy. i think assad must go and i believe he will go. it is incorrect for you to say we have done nothing. we have helped to mobilie i imme assad regime, we have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support for humanitarian aid, we have worked diligently with other countries in the region to provide additional tools to move towards a political transition within syria. if your suggestion is that i have not acted unilaterally, militarily, inside of syria, well, you know, the response has

been or my response would be that to the extent possible i want to make sure that we're working as an international community to deal with this problem, because i think it is a world problem. not simply a united states problem or israel problem or a turkish problem. it is a world problem when tens of thousands of people are being slaughtered, including innocent women and children. and so we will continue to work in an international framework to try to bring about the kind of change that is necessary in syria, secretary kerry has been working nonstop since he came into his current position, to try to help mobilize and organize our overall efforts and we will continue to push every lever we have to try to bring about a resolution inside of syria that respects the rights

and the safety and security of all people, regardless of whatever sectarian lines currently divide syria. last point i'll make, which is probably obvious, is this is not easy. when you start seeing a civil war that has sectarian elements to it and you got a repressive government intent on maintaining power and you have mistrust that has broken out, along sectarian lines, and you have an opposition that has not had the opportunity or time to organize itself, you know, both politically as well as militarily, then, you know, you end up seeing some of the devastation you've been seeing. and we're going to do everything we can to continue to prevent it and i know that the vast majority of our international partners feel the same way.

>> from the white house press corps, matt spatelnik of rou reuters. >> there was some friendly banter on the tarmac about red line. i wonder if that will be in your talks to come tonight. president obama has said it will take iran at least a year to build a bomb. that's months longer than prime minister -- mr. president, are you asking the prime minister to be more patient, to hold off for at least a year on any kind of military action against iran? mr. prime minister, has president obama's words, have they convinced you that he is putting forth the credible military threat you have repeatedly asked for and that -- or does he need to go further? thank you. >> want to take a first swing at this? >> first of all, i'm -- you know, there are so many strips

of different colors on the tarmac that we had -- we did have a joke about that. but obviously this matter is no joke. it relates to our very existence and to something also that the president correctly identified as a grave, strategic threat to the united states, and to the peace and security of the world. i am absolutely convinced that the president is determined to prevent iran from getting nuclear weapons. i appreciate it. i also appreciate something that he said, which i mentioned in my opening remarks, that the jewish people have come back to their own country, to be the masters of their own fate. i appreciate the fact that the president has reaffirmed, more than any other president, israel's right and duty to defend itself by itself against any threat. we just heard those important

words now and i think that sums up our -- our common view. iran is a grave threat to israel, a grave threat to the world, a nuclear iran. the united states is committed to dealing with it. israel is committed to dealing with it. we have different vulnerabilities, obviously, different capabilities. we take that into account. but what we do maintain and the president, i think, is the first to do , is that israel has a right to independently defend itself against any threat, including the iranian threat. >> i think the only thing i would add is that our intelligence cooperation on this issue is a consultation between our military, our intelligence, is unprecedented.

and there is not a lot of life, a lot of daylight between our countries' assessments in terms of where iran is right now. i think that what bebe alluded to, which is absolutely correct, is each country has to make its own decisions when it comes to the awesome decision to engage in any kind of military action. and israel is differently situated than the united states. and i would not expect the prime minister would make a decision about his country's security, and defer that to any other country, any more than the united states could defer our decisions about what was important for our national security. i have shared that with bebe, as i said to the entire world, as i said to the iranian people and iranian leaders that i think there is time to resolve this

issue diplomatically. the question is, will iranian leadership seize that opportunity, will they walk through that door? and it would be in everybody's interests, not just israel's interests, not just the united states' interests, the interests of the iranian people if this gets resolved diplomatically. because the truth of the matter is is that the most permanent solution to the iranian situation is ultimately going to be their decision that it is not worth it for them to pursue nuclear weapons. that would be the lasting change. if we can get that, that's good for everybody. including iran. because it would allow them to break out of the isolation that has hampered their society and

their economic development for many years. but i don't know whether they'll be willing to take that step. and obviously their past behavior indicates that in the words of -- or play on words on what ronald reagan said, we can't even trust yet, much less verify, but we do have to test the proposition that this can be resolved diplomatically. and if it can't, then i've repeated to bebe what i said publicly and that is that we will leave all options on the table in resolving it. [ inaudible ] >> welcome, mr. president. on your way back to washington on friday, what will you consider a successful visit, convincing the israeli leaders that they can rely on you, on

the iranian -- especially we learn there are differences between israel and the united states concerning the enrichment of the uranium or convincing both sides, israelis and the palestinians, to revive the floundering negotiations dividing the peace process, floundering peace process? >> well, my main goal on this trip has been to have an opportunity to speak directly to the israeli people at a time when obviously what was already a pretty tough neighborhood has gotten tougher. and let them know that they have got a friend in the united states, that we have your back, that we consider israel's security of extraordinary importance to us, not just because of the bonds between our peoples, but also because of our own national security interests.

in that context, what i have also sought to achieve here is further consultations, building on what we have already discussed, as bebe has just formed a new government, as i am entering my second term, that, you know, we continue to have close consultation around these -- some of these shared interests we have already discussed. iran being obviously a prominent shared concern. i want to make sure that the israeli people and the israeli government consistently understand my thinking and how i'm approaching this problem. and i want to understand how the israeli government and the prime minister is approaching this problem, to make sure that there are no misunderstandings there. with respect to the peace process, as i said, i'll have more to say about this tomorrow, but i think you are absolutely

right that over the last year, year and a half, two years, two and a half years, we haven't gone forward. we haven't seen the kind of progress we would like to see. there is some elements of good news. the fact of the matter is that even with all that has been happening in the region, the palestinian authority has worked effectively in cooperation with the international community, in part because of some of the training that we, the united states, provided to do its part in maintaining security in the west bank. we have seen some progress when it comes to economic development and opportunity for the palestinian people. but the truth of the matter is, trying to bring this to some

sort of clear settlement, a solution that would allow israelis to feel as if they have broken out of the current isolation that they're in, in this region, that would allow the incredible economic growth that is taking place inside this country, to be a model for trade and commerce and development throughout the region at a time when all these other countries need technology and commerce and jobs for their young people. for palestinians to feel a sense that they too are masters of their own fate, for israel to feel that the possibilities of rockets raining down on their

families has diminished, that kind of, you know, solution we have not yet seen. and so what i want to do is listen, hear from prime minister netanyahu. tomorrow i'll have a chance to hear from abu maza, to get a sense from them, how do they see the -- this process moving forward. what are the possibilities and what are the constraints and how can the united states be helpful. i purposefully did not want to come here and make some big announcement that might not match up with what the realities and possibilities on the ground are. i wanted to spend some time listening before i talk, which my mother always taught me was a good idea. and so hopefully i'll consider it successful if when i go back on friday i'm able to say to myself, i have a better

understanding of what the constraints are, what the interests of various parties are and how the united states can play a constructive role in bringing about a lasting peace and two states living side by side in peace and security. thank you. >> chuck todd from nbc. >> thank you, mr. president, mr. prime minister. mr. president, i want to follow up a little bit on the peace process. you began your term, first term, big fanfare, speaking to the muslim world, the decision to have a middle east envoy early, you said you weren't going to let this slip to your second term. we're in your second term with the middle east peace process. what went wrong? you want to talk more about this tomorrow, but i'm curious, what do you believe went wrong? did you push israel too hard? what do you wish you would have done differently? and, mr. prime minister, i want to help out my colleague over here, and follow up he had,

which had to do with, do you accept the president's understanding that iran is a year away when it comes to nuclear weapons? and another question i had for you -- >> chuck, how many you got? you do this in the israeli press, you say you have one question -- you see how the young lady from channel one, she had one question, she was very well behaved, chuck? >> one for you, and -- >> these are -- >> i thought i had four questions. i get four questions, right? >> look, this is not a kosher question, but don't hog it. >> i guess i was -- my question to you was going to be, why do you believe the israeli people have not embraced president obama the same way they embraced our last two presidents. thank you. >> so you had to get a polling question in there at the end, huh? chuck, i mean, you're just

incorrigible. well, look, the opening premise to your question was that having failed to achieve peace in the middle east, in my first term, that i must have screwed up somehow. and i will tell you, i hope i'm a better president now than when i first came into office, but my commitment was not to achieve a peace deal in my first year, or in my second year or my third year, that would have been nice. what i said was, i was not going to wait to start on the issue until my second term because i thought it was too important. that's exactly what i did. i am absolutely sure that there are a host of things that i could have done that would have been more deft and, you know, would have created better

optics. but ultimately, this is a really hard problem. it has been lingering for over six decades. and the parties involved have, you know, some profound interests that you can't spend, you can't smooth over, and it is a hard slog to work through all of these issues. i will add that both parties also have politics, just like we do back home. there are a whole bunch of things i would like to do in the united states that i didn't get done in my first term. and i'm sure i could have been more deft there as well. but some of it is just because it is hard. and people disagree. and if takes, i think, a confluence of both good,

diplomatic work, but also timing, serendipity, things falling into place at the right time, the right players feeling that this is the moment to seize it. and my goal here is just to make sure that the united states is a positive force in trying to create those opportunities as frequently as possible and to be as clear as possible as to why we think that this is an important priority. not only because of some polly annish views about can't we all get along and hold hands and sing kumbaya, but i believe israel's security will be enhanced with a resolution to this issue. i believe that palestinians will

prosper and can channel their extraordinary energies and entrepreneurship in more positive ways with a resolution to this issue. the entire region, i think, will be healthier with a resolution to this issue. so i'm going to keep on making that argument. and i will admit that frankly sometimes it would be easier not it make the argument, and to avoid the question. precisely because it is hard. that's not the approach that i've tried to take, and there probably have been times where when i have made statements about what i think needs to happen, the way it gets filtered through our press, it may be interpreted in ways that get israelis nervous, just like their folks back home who sometimes get nervous about areas where they aren't sure exactly where i stand on things.

that's why i like the opportunity to talk directly to you guys, hopefully you'll show the live film as opposed to the edited version. with that, i think you got four questions to answer, bebe. >> i think that there is a misunderstanding about time. if iran decides to go for a nuclear weapon, that is to actually manufacture the weapon, then it probably -- then it will take them about a year. i think that's correct. they could defer that a long time, but still get through the enrichment process that is to make a weapon, you need two things. you need enriched uranium, of a critical amount, and you need a weapon. you can't have the weapon without the enriched uranium. but you can't have the enriched uranium without the weapon. iran now is enrichingsuing it.

it hasn't yet reached the red line that i had described in my speech at the u.n. they're getting closer. and the question of manufacturing the weapon is a different thing. the president said correctly we have on these issues that are a little arcane, they sound a little detailed to you, but on these matters, we share information and we have a common assessment. we have a common assessment. and in any case, iran gets to an immunity zone when they get through the enrichment process in our view, in our view. and whatever time is left, there is not a lot of time. and every day that passes diminishes it. but we do have a common assessment on these schedules, on intelligence. we share that intelligence and

don't have any argument about it. i think it is important to state that clearly. i think that people should get to know president obama the way i've gotten to know. and i think you've heard something that is very meaningful. it may have escaped you. but it hasn't escaped me. and that is the president announced that in addition to all the aid that his administration's provided, including iron dome, including defense funding for israel during very difficult times, he's announced that we're going to begin talks on another ten-year process, arrangement, to ensure american military assistance to israel. i think this is very significant. and i want to express my thanks for everything that you have done, and i want to thank you, also, for that statement you just made. i think it is very, very

important. so i think -- i think israelis will judge this by the unfolding events and by what is happening, what is actually taking place. and for this, you know, there is a very simple answer to your question. the gentleman from nbc, right? for this you need -- you see a second term as president and third term as prime minister. that really fixes things. all right. >> thank you very much, everybody. >> the prime minister of israel, the president of the united states, wrapping up a nearly 45 minutes of the news conference important issues, critically important issues, including what is going on in syria, what is going on in iran, and what is going on as far as a peace process is concerned. and you just heard the president of the united states announce more military assistance to israel beyond the commitment to

2017 and the prime minister of israel saying there is a ten-year commitment beyond that, that would go to the year 2027 from the u.s. to israel. very strong amount of u.s. support for israel, a close period envisioned by both the leaders. clearly some differences along the way, but i'm sure the president of the united states was very happy to hear the prime minister of israel say israel is committed to a two-state solution. israel alongside a new state of palestine. this will be discussed when the president going to ramallah on the west bank to meet the palestinian authority president, mahmoud abbas. syria on the agenda right now. and the president was a bit vague in asserting whether or not the syrians have actually used chemical weapons against the rebels. listen to precisely what the president said. >> we intend to investigate

thoroughly exactly what happened. obviously in theory right now you have a war zone. you have information that is filtered out. but we have to make sure that we know exactly what happened, what was the nature of the incident, what can we document what can we prove. >> jessica yellin and john king standing by in jerusalem. jessica, you spoke with an israeli cabinet minister today, more precise in making an assertion that the syrian military already has used chemical weapons. what exactly did she say? >> well, i spoke with the justice minister here in israel, and he said that he was convinced that in theory a chemical weapons were used. she would not say by whom. i think we have the sound. let's listen to it and talk about it on the back end. >> have you seen any evidence of proof that there has been

chemical weapons used in syria? >> it is clear for us in israel that it is being used. and the problem is that while it is being used, we have syria, we have hezbollah and lebanon and the situation is that it is not going to be only in syria, but hezbollah can reach all these chemical weapons and use it against israel in the future. >> so at the very end you heard her raising one of the prime reasons israel is most threatened, feels most threatened by the possibility of chemical weapons used in syria, they could get into the hands of one of israel's greatest foes. hezbollah in lebanon. she was not specific, and when i pressed her in a follow-up, was it the assad regime, that she believes used the chemical weapons, she would not say. you heard the president say in his answer today, he's skeptical

about any claims that it was the opposition that may have used chemical weapons, though he won't say whether he believes chem kwical weapons were used a all. they want to get the facts on all of this, but right now, clearly, the u.s. officials have one line, israeli officials have a different one. >> the president saying the u.s. needs to gather the facts. he makes it clear that he doesn't want that so-called, what he said genie to be out of the bottle. he said it would be a game changer if that red line were crossed by the syrian military. another red line, john king, involves iran right now. do you sense that there is a significant difference between the israeli assessment and the u.s. assessment on the urgency of what is going on? >> i don't think there is any disagreement at all on the urgency. i think you heard the president say there is no daylight, the prime minister, netanyahu, who

raised questions about this urgency in the past, repeatedly thanked the president. the president going on record saying the goal and the policy of the united states and the firm line of the united states is to prevent, not to contain a nuclear iran. that is what the prime minister wants most of all and wants to believe it. what the prime minister would tell you, he wants tehran to believe it. he believes the only way to get diplomatic solution is if tehran would invoke the military option. this gets confusing because the question is, where does the president draw that line, that it is time to -- that diplomacy failed, to use military action and where does the prime minister draw it? you had an interesting back and forth between the two leaders today, essentially a two-fer to iran. i will use military force if i get to my line but i give the prime minister to use behind own decision when he gets to his line. do they have the same line? that's what the prime minister was talking about at the end. is the united states line when iran is trying to actually take enriched uranium and put it in a

warhead. the president doesn't want to go that far. you heard him talk about that far. will the international community say we won't do anything? the state of israel to him, that's the line. if they have enough uranium to have a weapon and can put one together, reserving his right to act unilaterally if the international community draws a different line. >> i want to bring in ivan watson into this conversation as well. ivan already is in amman, jordan, getting ready for the president's visit there, to the west bank tomorrow, and then on friday, he heads over to jordan to meet with king abdullah. did you hear any nuances, did you hear anything, ivan, you covered this region for a long time, that would lead you to believe that israeli palestinian/palestinian peace process is about to get off the ground? >> i'm not sure that we're at that point yet. he did point out that he didn't want to wait until the second term, to start up the peace process, with the palestinians.

and defended his record saying, you know, this is a huge tough problem and how could anybody have expected me to solve middle east peace in the course of this first four years in office. clearly says that the best for israel, for palestine, and for the region is for the two peoples to make peace. but i think it was very clear that this is a very difficult problem, and they are at no turning point right now in the immediate future, wolf. >> and when gets to jordan, and that's going to be the important issue, what is going on in the peace process, but probably more important right now is what is going on in syria, there are several hundred thousand syrian refugees who flooded into jordan from syria, what is going to be the gist of the conversation that the president has with king abdullah? >> well, the jordanians are worried about the huge wave of refugees coming from syria.

this is a country of 6.5 million people and if you can imagine, you had close to half a million syrians flood across the border in very short period of time. and that's creating huge economic pressure here, it is creating political pressure at a time when jordan's own economy is really not doing very well, and there were country wide protests a couple of months ago in jordan, against the government, against reductions of fuel subsidies. so this is a very delicate time right now. the jordanians will clearly want to know they're going to get some support with the huge refugee influx. they also want protection from the huge mess just across the border in syria. the jordanians playing a very delicate game now, wolf. they have spoken out against the syrian president bashar al assad, but can't afford to cut bridges just in case assad does survive longer. because as one analyst pointed out here, he can be a very

dangerous enemy to have right on your doorstep. i think the jordanians are going to be looking for american leadership here when it comes to the syrian crisis. and what we heard from presiden solution. he said we need an international effort to solve the syrian civil war. and it is a complicated mess right now. there is sectarian division. that is not an answer that is going to make many syrians happy. they have argued because the international community has not intervened earlier and with more leadership, that the sectarian problems have only gotten worse. and the example that every syrian will put up before you, wolf, is what about libya? you had a nato international effort there to help bring down gadhafi. why didn't anybody do what the western government promised to do to protect benghazi that city, from being devastated by gadhafi's forces, why haven't they done that to protect

syria's largest city, aleppo, which has been pounded by air strikes artillery and even scud missiles. wolf? >> ivan watson in jordan already. back to jessica and john in jerusalem. this is the tenth time that the president of the united states has met with the prime minister of israel. and, jessica, those of us who have covered all ten of these visits and these meetings and you and i and john have, this was, by far, the most effusive in their mutual praise, their warmth. what happened? >> never seen them quite so cozy as they were today. it was probably a little deliberate for the cameras. >> a tad calculated, maybe. >> also a sign that these two men know they have to work together and get along if they get anything done. at one point i know the president said in his meeting with netanyahu when they first came together, his wife was in between us two men and the president said, she's a rose between two thorns.

there is a self-awareness that both of them have been prickly with each other at times, had a frosty relationship and now it is time to heal those wounds and move forward because the president is looking for a legacy move here, he would like to move forward and begin some sort of ground work, to begin some sort of peace talks. secretary kerry is coming back here on saturday to try to meet with netanyahu, prime minister netanyahu and begin some sort of progress to start -- kick start the possibility for peace talks. and, of course if there is any possibility to avert any hot war with iran, and any sort of regional effort to stop syria, the president needs to have a warm relationship with netanyahu. and i think netanyahu is a little -- is he chastened? >> i think he's somewhat humbled by his own election. you understand this, there is always a line, you don't know quite where it is. he needs to fight first and

foremost for israel and its interests. but if gets too far away from the american president, he gets in trouble here at home. you see efforts by both of them. i thought it was remarkable. the jokes from the prime minister, the reference to the president's children, the president made reference to the prime minister's children, but, wolf, you know, you know how much his father yoni is his hero. when the president mentioned yoni you could see the prime minister was moved by that. a very smart tactical move by the president to invoke something personal to say i'm trying too. they're both trying in public to get along better. if that trickles into the private working relationship, all for the better because these issues are so difficult. one other point, that was a personal way to try to make a new bond, a better bond with netanyahu. the president also had several opportunities to cause more friction. in the past, the israeli settlement building is a huge source of friction. you heard the prime minister say, come back to the table, palestinians, if you set aside all preconditions. one of the palestinian

preconditions is an end to settlement building. they're building a new subdivision and may build more across the street. that is something the administration in the past has publicly criticized. the president had several opportunities to bring it up in public. he said nothing about settlement. >> he did say one thing on the -- >> i was going to say, i don't think the word settlement came up during the news conference. >> no. >> it did not. in the question from chuck todd of nbc news, he asked about the process in going forward. i would have liked for somebody in the room to ask a more specific question of whether that came up. it didn't come up. but the president had a chance to bring it up and that is the choice. the issue is not far from his mind. he made a choice there not to poke the prime minister in public. >> the president has learned through experience that he -- there are certain words in this region you have to stay away from and better to bring certain things up in private rather than public. he learned it the hard way.

you heard him use this time, in this visit, as compared to his first visit overseas, his first term when he gave the cairo speech, he used language that is very meaningful to the israelis, that resured the israelis. there was a key phrase he used that netanyahu repeated after the president. this has -- this sentence has great resonance here in israel and will give the israeli people and prime minister netanyahu as you well know, wolf, enormous reassurance. it means the president believes israel should have the capability to act on its own, in its own defense, part of the reason the statement is formed and it suggests to many people that the president believes israelis should have the -- perhaps the weaponry or the support in various ways, who knows, to be able to do that under a variety of situations. >> and, wolf, as you know, this is a tiny little neighborhood. ramallah is eight miles away,

gaza, 50 miles away. i was in both communities. they have soured on president obama and if the palestinian leadership is listening today they didn't like some of this. >> we'll see what happens tomorrow when the president goes to ramallah and meets with the palestinian authority, president mahmoud abbas. john king and jessica yellin standing by. they'll have more coming up later in "the situation room," ivan watson as well. thank you for watching. we're following some important breaking news here in the united states, two americans have just been placed on the fbi's most wanted terror list. we have new information coming in to the cnn newsroom. our coverage will continue right after this. i remember the day my doctor said i had diabetes. there's a lot i had to do... watch my diet. stay active. start insulin... today, i learned there's something i don't have to do anymore. my doctor said that with novolog® flexpen, i don't have to use a syringe and a vial or carry a cooler. flexpen® comes prefilled with fast-acting insulin used to help control high blood sugar when you eat.

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breaking news. exclusive new information here on cnn, the u.s. putting a bounty on two americans. elise abbott has more. what do we know about these two men? >> they moved to somalia in 2005-2006. omar komani is a balabama nativ, he was a recruiter for the organization. he was a rapper back in the united states and used those songs, those videos and writings to recruit englishpeaking use to al shabab, the al qaeda

affiliate in somalia. his partner jihad moustapha, a california native, late 320s, early 30s, more of a commander. what u.s. officials are telling me, don, the u.s. is concerned not only about attacks against american interests, against american facilities, but also these recruiting techniques that they might have developed in somalia that they could possibly bring home to the united states. >> thank you very much. more news here on cnn right after this break.

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she is a "sports illustrated" swimsuit model and he is a high school senior without a prom date. he liked his chances so he posted this video online. >> you're the ying to my yang.

i'm 5'9" on a really good day and can't dance at all. you can say this is destiny. >> well, like these things do, it went viral. kate upton tweeted this back. you can call me katie if you want. how can i turn down that video? i'll check my schedule, wink. jake davidson was on the "today" show this morning when a surprise guest called in. >> hi, kate. >> how do you feel? i can't believe you're on the show and everything now. it is amazing. >> this just got so much better now that you're on the phone. >> jake davidson is with us now live from los angeles. has she checked her schedule? is this thing going to happen? >> well, i don't know yet, but i did hear just ten minutes ago, one of my friends sent me she is feeling the pressure, which i don't want. she's already done so much for me.

i really appreciate all that she's done. and she said she may move things around. that would be incredible. i would appreciate it so much, but she shouldn't feel the pressure. you've done so much and i really appreciate it, kate. you're incredible. >> listen, i know this is an obvious question. why kate? if not kate, i get why. if not kate, who else ranks on your celebrity crushes? >> celebrity crushs? >> yeah. >> well, no offense to all the other celebrities because they're all very beautiful and great people, but it is like kate up here, you know, then someone else down here, off the top of my head, the other kate beckinsale is very cute, so pretty. there are so many pretty celebrities out there. they all are. i don't know. >> she's a supermodel. you like your chances. what have you got to offer the lady? >> well, i mean, i have a very

committed, supporting staff that is sharing a lot of tweets and making it viral, that's helpful. i think everyone who is doing that, i really appreciate it. and a great video made by talia myers, i don't really think it is me. i think it is everyone who is sharing it and stuff. i just got lucky, i think. >> what is your plan b? >> clearly out of my league. you know, i like to go all in. and then hope for the best. and plan later as opposed to having a plan b. i feel like then you have a reserve and that's not so good. but there are definitely some great friends at my school who would be helpful or i don't know, really. i haven't thought about it. >> good luck, jake. appreciate it. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. up next, actress jada pinkett smith ignites a fierce debate, should white women grace the covers of magazines like "essence" or "ebony." my hot topic panel will face off next.

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...and we inspected his brakes for free. -free is good. -free is very good. [ male announcer ] now get 50% off brake pads and shoes at meineke. all right, for gun control advocates, the front page of today's new york daily news says it all in just three words. shame on u.s. if you're reading it quickly, some could read that as shame on us. the second headline reads, assault weapons bill is dead.

that's a bill banning more than 100 kinds of firearms including some semi-automatic and semi-automatic rifles. they didn't have the votes to pass the senate. it could get introduced as an amendment, but it is a defeat for gun control on the gun control front. we got a panel to talk about all of this. radio and tv personality, yolanda watts, one of my favorites. david begnaud and radio talk show host ben ferguson, good to see you again, ben. and tiffany henry, therapist and relationship expert. after these topics, we'll need some therapy. >> i got you. >> ben, you heard about all of the gun control after aurora, after newtown, it was thought there is going to be a gun control ban that will go through congress and sweep through congress and then the assault

weapons ban and then also a universal background check. support appears to be waning. >> and i think this isthings we from this in the past and what dianne feinstein should do is look at their own party and say are there enough democrats to vote for the broad reaching measures and the answer is, honestly, no, there is not. they should have spent more time working on maybe just background checks or mental health issues and looked at actually the prosecution of crimes of those that commit gun crimes. right now in this country, you get about 4.3 years, if you use a gun in a crime, including pulling the trigger and miss, that's where they could have made real headway, they didn't do it and it is because they wasted so much time on something they couldn't even get done with their own party. >> he said sweeping, many people don't see it as sweeping. >> well, you know what, this is a situation where we have 6-year-old children getting shot, why do people need these

guns that you use on a battlefield to begin with? and i think that, you know, it is such a tough issue, responsibly, people who are into hobbies, that's one thing, but these power weapons and the fact you can slaughter so many people, we have to do something. we have to keep this -- this ball in the air. i'm not quite sure what the answer is, but we have to do something and i applaud the politicians who are fighting it. >> david, i know. it seems that nothing is going to happen with it. there is so much emotion, especially after newtown. >> set aside how you feel on the issues, the democrats need some chutzpah. if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. harry reid looked weak yesterday when he stood in front of the camera and almost conceded, we don't have the votes. go out and get them. if that's what you feel for and feel strongly about it, make it happen. i'm shoorry. you can fault the republicans for their views but the republicans will fight until the end for something they believe in. >> tiffany, i'll let you get in. we're going to have to move on

to a different subject. i want to talk about an online question from jada pinkett smith, the actress, married to will smith. the actress said she's not pointing fingers, but she's pushing buttons when she talks about white women on the covers of black magazines. pinkett smith posted this question on facebook, here it is. she said if we ask our white sisters who tend to be the guardians of the covers of mainstream magazines to consider women of color to grace these magazines, should we not offer the same consideration to white women to grace our covers? should women extend their powers to other women simply because they are women? to my women of color, i am clear, we must have something of our own. but is it possible to share in the spirit in which we ask our white sisters to share with us? and pinkett smith post these mock covers, queen latifah on cosmo, and then charlize theron on essence. what makes pinkett smith ask the

question? she said she wants to open the door to new possibilities. okay. tiffany, as a woman of color, what do you make of it? >> thank you for noticing that. i think that -- i actually think that jada brings up a very good point. and of course magazines should be more inclusive and but you have to remember that it is going to work both ways. if you're going to advocate for diversity in mainstream magazines, you have to advocate the opposite and have it be, you know, across the board. you can't ask for one and not the other. so, you know, i think she raises an interesting point and something to consider. and i actually applaud her for starting this conversation. >> i'll let the women get in first. they are talking about women's magazines. if you -- even a man can thumb through a mainstream magazine and a man of color and i cannot see myself in page after page after page. i imagine it is the same for women of color. they're on as many magazines geared towards people of color, especially women of color. so what do you make of this? >> don if you're asian, latino

or black, and stand in front of a magazine stand, you wonder if you even exist in this country or this world. and that is the reason historically that magazines like jet and ebony and essence were created. to address our beauty, to talk about our issues, so that our children can see themselves on the newsstand as well and dream of being on a cover. essence is specifically for that. and i think a lot of black women would have a big issue if a white woman was on that cover. and jada does bring up a very provocative question, why doesn't it go both ways? but the reality is, in the history shows us that we have need magazines like essence to know we exist and to have our issues and all our views examined. >> we look at the posts on the facebook page and one woman said, i wouldn't buy essence with a white woman on the cover. >> maybe so. but here is the thing. i think she brings up a good point. people would continue to buy it.

she's not saying do away with black women on the cover. she's saying share the cover. we got a black president. i grew up in louisiana. i saw racism first hand. at the end of the day, i think both magazines are great, but why not? it is a great idea. far be it for me to tell a woman she has a bad idea. >> i would like to volunteer to be the first white guy, random white guy to be on the cover of any one of these magazines. i mean, if that can help us move along, you can put me on that cover, that magazine and i will be an advocate for that moving forward. you and i can do it together, think about that. we can be standing there going, white guy, black guy, i'm from memphis, i can talk civil rights. >> wait a minute. >> if we're on the cover of a magazine, i think that may create other questions. >> the rapture? >> yes.

>> go ahead, you were saying? >> the bottom line is, i would love to see a situation where all women, you know, it was about the content of the magazine, and the character of women, so beautiful, no matter what color we are. we have so much in common. i don't care what color we are. and women are women. and together we can change the world. >> okay. >> i don't think it will hurt though. >> to this panel, that's it. can't we just all get along? i got to get out of here. thank you very much. >> we love you, don. >> i love you guys too. thank you. thank you. ben, i'll take you up on that. coming up, you know dr. oz, he gives health advice to millions of americans. now one tip he gave landed him in some legal hot water. why one viewer is suing the popular tv doctor coming up.

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popular tv host dr. oz being sued for advice he gave to viewers who struggle falling asleep. one viewer in particular, a new york city man, says he watched on april 17th when dr. oz recommended viewers put a little

uncooked rice in a pair of socks, warm them up in the microwave oven, and slip them on. he did give a disclaimer -- make sure the sock is not too hot. he said to lie for 20 minutes in bed with those socks on. the man says he got third-degree burns from doing it. he filed a lawsuit. all right. so joining me now, three black men on television at the same time. >> that's a good thing. >> what's wrong with that? >> stop. >> joey jackson and ryan smith, both on the case right now. so many experts on tv can be held liable in cases like this. i was watching talk shows this morning. steve harvey has ask steve. wendy williams has ask wendy. they're all giving advice on television. what does this mean if anything? >> the first thing i'll say, ryan, is this lawsuit has no legs much less feet. how do you like that one? the issue is this.

this would establish a parade of hosh horribles. that means any attorney who has a talk show regarding law you're going to sue them for malpractice? a doctor dispensing advice, you're suing them? you have a financial adviser or planner. you're suing them? the law is concerned about imposing a legal duty even and i think they'll look to have the case dismissed on that ground. >> they should -- this show at the very least should have a disclaimer at the end saying we're not giving medical advice. please consult a doctor before trying any of this. i don't see the doctor-patient relationship. dr. oz didn't know his particular condition. also, you mentioned he said wear it for 20 minutes. this guy fell asleep with them and woke up and had these bruises. that is a problem. in cases like this when you talk about what i assume is going to be malpractice here, kind of negligence, the idea is, okay, is there an intervening cause? they have to prove some causation. did the man have a condition? did he make it too hot in the microwave? did he wear them too long? there are so many other factors that come in here. >> i'll read a statement.

at this time the dr. oz show has not been served with any complaint and therefore cannot comment on the matter. however, we stand by the content in our program as safe and educational for our viewers. that being said, is it common sense? what is this going to mean for -- i want to know for people who are giving advice on television? are they going to think twice about doing it for this lawsuit? you say it's going to be thrown out, but you never know. >> i would think twice. you got to give a disclaimer. that's number one. but you can't over disclaim on a tv show. we know that. so there's a common sense element here. >> of course. >> and viewer discretion is always advised. this person has a particular condition that's numbness. i mean, okay. your feet can't feel it. could your hand feel it? >> have you watched the dr. oz show? everything is advice. every single segment. >> but i don't follow it as if he is my doctor. >> right. >> that is where we're lacking in the suit. that's where the special relationship is created that imposes a legal duty that i think is absent here.

>> what about just talk shows? he's a doctor. what about on talk shows if someone says hey don i have a question to ask you in the hey don segment. i say maybe you should break up with your girlfriend because -- am i then liable for splitting up that relationship? >> it depends on the circumstances. i'll tell you this. there is a sense, let's say you say to somebody hey run out in the street and jump off a bridge. obviously that is not a good thing to say. you have to take into account as a host what that person is going through. you can't just throw things out there to people. but at the same time, if you're giving innocuous advice and it's generalized advice and you're not telling somebody do something specifically that can harm them, i think that's a very tough case to sue on. >> it is. i think there is a degree of common sense here, don. right? we have to be sure we check it and ensure that we do what's right for us. regardless of what the doctor says. >> three brothers on the couch giving advice. >> behave yourself. >> thank you, guys.

appreciate it, joey. thank you, ryan smith as well. a major change for monster energy drinks but you won't taste the difference. we'll tell you why the company is now calling the drink a conventional food.

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monster energy drinks will no longer be marketed as a dietary supplement. they are getting a new label that qualifies them to be marketed as a conventional food. what does that mean? it means monster will be required to list facts. it won't have to talk about reports that potentially link the products to death and injuries. the company says it is making the change so it can be more transparent about caffeine levels. monster is fighting a lawsuit that claims a teenager died from high caffeine levels in its drink. >> more transparency is good but i want it to go further. why not disclose everything? >> if it helps the consumer it's a wonderful thing. we know the real motivation but at the end of the day if people are helped and less people injured why not?

>> when you drink these drinks you know you are drinking a lot of caffeine and not sure exactly how much. >> it's a monster. >> thanks. three brothers on the couch. appreciate it. "the lead" with jake tapper starts right now. president obama again caught off guard by a hot mike. i'm jake tapper and this is "the lead." the national lead president obama on open mike takes a dig at congress to israel's leader. by congress of course we mean republicans. house speaker john boehner reacts in our exclusive interview. also in national the cdc now says one in every 50 children has autism. one in 50. there are real questions being raised at how the cdc arrived at these numbers. and the sports lead. how long has it been since the miami heat lost a game? well, back then most of us had not even heard of the harlem shake. good time. we begin with the world

lead. and finally, all sides of the middle east peace conflict are seeing eye to eye on something. none of them expect much to come out of president obama's first trip to israel as president. the president just wrapped up a news conference with the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu in jerusalem and as you'll see from this clip things are off to a chummy start for two leaders with legendary limited affection from one another. >> i want to express a special thanks to sarah as well as your two sons for their warmth and hospitality. it was wonderful to see them. they are -- i did inform the prime minister that they are very good looking young men who clearly got their looks from their mother. >> well, i can say the same of your daughters. >> this is true. >> even before the president's arrival the consensus among israelis, palestinians, and even white house officials was that this visit will not do anything

concrete to move the peace process forward, so we can't help but ask, what's the point? let's try to get some perspective from cnn's jessica yellin who is live in jerusalem. jessica, were there any surprises from the president at the press conference today? >> reporter: well, i think, jake, the president was especially forceful in his expression of support for israel's security. he used the language he needed to use to reassure the israelis. he understands. now, his posture with regard to iran and syria was strikingly different, and that's worth noting. on syria he was cautious, saying that officials are still determining whether chemical weapons were used there and there's no action he is willing to take until he knows what was used. we'll see if he'll take action when he knows what actually happened there. when it comes to iran, his language was much more vigorous. let's listen to this and we can talk about it on the other end.

>> the united states will continue to consult closely with israel on next steps, and i will repeat all options are on the table. we will do what is necessary to prevent iran from getting the world's worst weapons. meeting none of these challenges will be easy. it will demand the same courage and resolve as those who have preceded us. >> reporter: none of that was new language from him, but his expression of support and saying that all options are on the table and he, you know, said that he has israel's back was about as emphatic as analysts expected him to get speaking from israel and i'd add that we know that secretary kerry is coming here to israel after the president leaves to try to see if he can jump-start peace talks. so it's possible that the administration is trying to talk down expectations so they can

actually get something out of this in terms of peace talks in the end, jake. >> this trip as you know comes in the shadow of claims that syria is using chemical weapons against the rebels, claims that president obama just minutes ago noted were unconfirmed but he did also say that if they're true it would be a game changer. you had a chance to talk to israel's justice minister about this. what did she say? >> well, she said the u.s. involvement would make a difference in syria and she said chemical weapons in syria threaten israel and she's confident that they have been used in syria but she wouldn't say by whom. have you seen any evidence of proof that there has been chemical weapons used in syria? >> it is clear to us in israel that it's being used, and the problem is that while it's being used we have syria, we have hezbollah in lebanon, and the